Jaecoo J7 makes first public appearance in Malaysia

Chinese cars may have once been perceived as being cheap and simple, with quality being commensurate with the low price. This was the same with Japanese and Korean cars when they first entered markets. But that was 20 years ago and since then, the major Chinese carmakers have progressed greatly although it was not apparent outside China.

With the market headed towards becoming the world’s largest, the products got better and better as the carmakers gained more experience and also, domestic consumers became more demanding. They had a choice of the models from foreign makes which were then slightly ahead, so the domestic carmakers had to work hard to win them over.

Thus over the past 10 years, the products of Chinese brands have made a big leap in virtually all aspects – design, technology and quality – and also electrification, which the government pushed them towards. The number of brands and models is mind-boggling and covers all segments – even premium and recently, supercar.

So with the export push growing stronger, the Chinese companies have lots of models to select for overseas sales. Some, like Chery – the largest exporter of passenger vehicles for many years – have even created new brands for overseas markets to more effectively enter certain segments.

For example, in April last year, it launched the Jaecoo brand for premium SUVs. It’s a clever move, like Toyota creating Lexus and Nissan creating Infiniti, to have a new brand which has no negative ‘legacy issues’. Most consumers will have no knowledge of this brand and therefore no preconceived perceptions. That it comes from China may be overshadowed by the quality of the product which we’ll get into shortly.

Jaecoo for use outside China
Jaecoo is intended for use outside China in markets such as Russia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. It will also be entering the Malaysian market this year, the first market in Southeast Asia that will launch the brand. Though it is part of the Chery portfolio of brands, Jaecoo operates as a standalone company in the same way that Lexus also operates separately from Toyota (though distributors may be the same) and has its own marketing strategies.

The first product that will be launched (before the middle of 2024) will be the J7 SUV; in fact, Jaecoo looks like it will be a premium SUV brand since its name is formed from ‘jaeger’ (the German word for ‘hunter’) and ‘cool’.

The price has not been revealed yet but Jaecoo Malaysia said that it is to be assembled locally, so it should have attractive pricing which is rumoured to be around RM160,000.

Looks larger than it actually is
With its huge grille and large flush body panels, the J7 seems like a larger vehicle than it actually is. A look at the dimensions shows it to be around 4.5 metres, which is a similar length to the Toyota Corolla Cross. But it does have a generous wheelbase of 2672 mm and, of course, has 200 mm ground clearance.

The form is typical for a SUV, with the now common ‘floating roof’ and for a premium touch, door handles that slide in and out. One could probably say that its design is ‘international’ and has presence which, as mentioned earlier, makes it seem larger.

1.6-litre turbocharged GDI engine
The J7 is available only with a petrol engine although the equivalent version in China also has a hybrid powertrain. We will get the 1.6-litre Kunpeng turbocharged 4-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine which produces a healthy 197 ps/290 Nm to give strong performance.

The drivetrain has a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Jaecoo Malaysia says that they are still looking at whether to offer FWD, AWD or both. It will depend on the market feedback which they will be reviewing in the coming months before the launch takes place.

FWD or AWD – or both
As other carmakers have found, most customers are not really concerned about whether two or all four wheels are powered (and some don’t even know), and weight and cost can be saved if just FWD is offered. However, if it is positioned as a premium product, then AWD might be more appropriate.

Like many of the modern AWD systems, the J7 has different modes which the driver can choose from to suit different surface conditions. The J7’s advanced All Road Drive Intelligent System is a major contributor to stability, reacting with 0.1 second 4WD instant intervention. Moreover, the Integrated Power Brake system has high integration with related systems, provides faster braking with no performance decay.

The off-road specialists at M4TREC who have been testing it in local conditions have been impressed by its capabilities in difficult terrain with the intelligent system.

Strong premium image
Opening the doors and looking in, it’s clear that the product has been given a strong premium image. There is a mix of metallic trim which gives a high-tech appearance, while the upholstery and door panels have a nice feel.

The dashboard has a large touchscreen (14.8 inches) fixed in portrait format and another 10.25-inch screen in front of the driver for the usual display of running information. Other than the wipers, lights and signals which are controlled by the stalks, everything else is managed on the touchscreen. There is currently a debate on whether more controls should be mechanical adjusters, especially things like temperature and blower speed, but for the J7, you need to touch/press to adjust.

Seating space is quite generous and the 1865 mm body width helps, along with the ceiling height at 1680 mm (with a 1.1 sq. metre sunroof). The boot, which has a powered door, has 421 litres of volume with the rear seats in use and would be expandable when you fold them down. There are also additional storage compartments at the sides.

Where to get a first look
The J7 is now on display at The Waterfront in Desa Park City on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. It will be there till March 17 after which you can see the SUV at the following locations:

♦ Pavilion Bukit Jalil | KL: March 19 – 23

♦ OneUtama | PJ: April 10 – 14

♦ Midvalley MegaMall | KL: April 25 – 28

♦ Paradigm Mall | Johor Bahru: May 15 – 19

JAECOO J7 undergoes tough testing in local conditions